Hurricane Harvey

Last Thursday Les and I went for a bike ride.  It was a little bit overcast and about 60 degrees at 7:00 a.m.  Perfection!

One week later, this morning at 5:00 a.m. it was as far from perfection as it gets. We have a wireless thermometer in our backyard that syncs with one in our bedroom.  I rubbed my eyes several times, sure that I was seeing incorrectly...

As much as I am not enjoying this heatwave, I am thankful to be safe and dry.  The pictures coming out of Texas this week have been so horrible.  I can't imagine what so many are going through. 

I've received several emails regarding giving to the victims of Hurricane Harvey.  There are many trustworthy companies that you can donate to.  Here are a few you may not be aware of (click the links to take you to the specific sites):

From now until Tuesday, ModSportswear will be donating $15 to Harvey victims every time an order is placed - donations will go to Compassion Services International.

Fleet Feet Sports stores all over the country are collecting new or gently-used shoes and new pairs of socks to donate to victims of the storm.

Modest clothing company, Jade MacKenzie Apparel, is based in Houston and is accepting donations on their website.

Bombas is a sock company that always donates a pair of socks to the homeless for every pair purchased.  They have already sent a donation to their partners at the Coalition for the Homeless in Houston.

Southwest Airlines is taking donations of Rapid Rewards Points to assist volunteers with travel expenses.

I'm sure there are many other ways to help, but these are a few of the unique ones that have come my way.  Please don't forget to pray for those who are suffering during this time.

Pure Religion

I'm reading the book of James this week and I've got more than one post brewing!  As far as we know, the author was the son of Mary, the half-brother of Jesus.  If anyone could have had anything negative to say about the Man Christ Jesus, it would have been James.  But instead, James has much to say to us.

He concludes chapter one with this verse, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."  Chapter two picks up the theme of respecting those who are wealthy and despising the poor.  Verse 9 says, "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin..."

Verses 14-16 says, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?"

Since the year we spent living in Honolulu, my feelings toward the homeless and those less fortunate have changed drastically.  With a homeless population in the thousands, it's not something I could easily ignore.  I was also on the receiving end of a compassionate homeless woman (you can read that story here.)

I use to tell myself, "I can't give them money, they'll just spend it on drugs or alcohol."  I felt justified in that.  But there's no scripture for it.  Jesus said, "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me." (Matthew 25:35-36)  He said it was to the least of these, no conditions are added. 

I understand it's a fine line.  There are people who will spend any money they can get their hands on for another drink or fix.  But that is not always the case.  We can't turn a blind eye to every hurting person because they might not spend wisely.  What we have came from God and when we give it, we give it from God.  I also know that the need is so great, that we could spend every penny we earn and not meet that need.

So what to do?  I believe we must be sensitive to the Spirit.  Get up in the morning reporting for duty, as Pastor White says, "Lord, I'm on evangelism today."  Let it become a life style.  When you see a hurting person, you pause in your day and reach out in love.  I believe you will know when you need to give them more than your time.

There is a homeless man on Oahu who I see every time we are there. The first few months, I would pass him by.  But something started working on me.  Finally, I said, "Okay God, I'm listening!"  The next time I saw him, I had a couple dollars ready.  But what really made the difference was when I stopped and talked to him.  He told me his name is Lenny.  His skin is baked from the Hawaiian sun.  I don't know how long he's been there or where he came from.  Since that first visit, I always say hello and often stop to talk to him. At times I've taken him food. Sometimes I really don't have any money to give him, but he gives me a smile because I stop and look him in the eye.  I acknowledge his humanity.  He's not a dog or some brainless monster.  He's a human being with a heart and soul and feelings.  When he reaches up his hand to me, whether I put money in his or not, he needs human touch.  I know he's dirty.  I've seen where he sleeps at the park.  But his need is no less than anyone else's. 

As Apostolic Pentecostals we are known for our worship.  Our ladies are often recognized by our dress.  But pure religion has got to go deeper.  The world needs to recognize us for our compassion as well.  To the least of these.

Share the Road

Les and I rode our mountain bikes together this morning. We were about a mile up the trail when we saw a very young coyote. He was so little, hadn't grown into his ears or nose yet. When we came up behind him, he never made a sound, just kept on going up the trail while looking over his shoulder. We gladly shared the trail with him. We didn't want to hurt him or make him do anything crazy and cause a crash, so we just pedaled slowly by. I felt a little sorry for him and wondered where his mama was.


The Tour de France is going on right now. There are have been a number of crashes, causing broken bones and withdrawals from the race. There was one crash that could have been avoided completely. During Sunday's stage, a group of five riders were racing along, working together to collect time bonuses and hopefully win the stage for the day...

As always, there were several vehicles behind this group of riders. For some still unknown reason, one of the cars decided to pass the riders. Unfortunately the road was not wide enough, so just as the car was even the with the riders it sped up, swerved into the pack and hit Juan Antonio Flecha, one of the riders! Flecha then crashed in to Johnny Hoogerland who took the brunt of the crash, and was launched onto a barbed wire fence along the right-hand side of the road. Oh! Ow!


Both riders were able to remount and finish the stage, albeit in considerable pain. Hoogerland suffered deep lacerations to his legs and arrived in Saint-Flour sporting bandages applied by a Tour doctor. He later ended up with 33 stitches. All because someone was too impatient to wait for a better place to pass.

We're all on the road of life. Life seems to move at the speed of light sometimes, but we cannot be uncaring of those we pass. When we only focus on our needs or problems or successes or stresses, we run the risk of pushing someone else into the barbed wire.

The story of the good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 tells about a man who "went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead." How are suppose to treat our fallen brothers? Love them as ourselves. Shew mercy on he who is fallen. Bind up their wounds. Take care of them. Don't walk on by. In other words, share the road!